Family of seven forced to stay
in their incomplete house 01/04/2001 SUM
AFTER waiting for seven years, Yahya Abu and his family finally moved into
their low-cost home in Taman Dalma, Semenyih, Kajang, Selangor, last week.
The only thing stopping the 40-year-old general worker from calling it his
"dream house" is that it is not completed as work on the project had stopped
in 1995!

493 abandoned projects worth
RM15 bil 01/04/2001 SUM
ABANDONED housing projects are a bane to everyone. A blot on the landscape,
a constant reminder of lost investments for buyers, extra work for the Housing
and Local Government Ministry and a black mark in the developer's book.

Squatters in their own house01/04/2001 SUM
AFTER waiting for seven years, Yahya Abu and his family finally moved into
their low-cost home in Taman Dalma, Semenyih, Kajang, Selangor, last week.
The only thing stopping the 40-year-old general worker from calling it his
"dream house" is that it is not completed as work on the project had stopped
in 1995! Without basic amenities such as water and electricity supply, Yahya
has to resort to tapping electricity from the developer's site office opposite
his house.Family of seven forced to stay in their incomplete house With the
help of his five children, he uses containers to get some clean water from
a factory about a kilometre away. They do this twice a day. For washing, Yahya
and his family use rain water collected in a manhole.

Developers should be more careful
selecting contractors 02/04/2001 NST
I WOULD be grateful if you could publish my letter for the benefit of landowners
and developers who may indiscriminately appoint contractors for their housing
projects. After having read your report "A new Puchong township in the pipeline"
(NST, March 15), I would like to put in a word of advice to all landowners
and developers to be more careful when selecting their contractors.

The higher cost of low-cost
03/04/2001 MM-CLAS
THE issue of low-cost housing has always been a vexatious one. The original
price-tag of RM25,000 for a low-cost house was revised to RM42,000 in 1999
with the Cabinet's approval in the hope that it would trigger private sector
developers into building more low and medium low- cost houses. Alas, this
was not to be. Developers barely reached the 20 per cent mark of the target
set by the authorities, preferring instead to build higher- cost units.

Completed but still waiting
for approval 03/04/2001 NST
Purchasers of about 550 units in two blocks of the Venice Hill Condominium
blocks of the Venice Hill Condominium and Golf Resort in Ulu Langat, Selangor,
are in a quandary as the project that was launched in the mid-90s and is virtually
completed still has not obtained the required building plan approvals

New law needed to protect house
buyers: Ahmad Zahid 05/04/2001 BT
A NEW law is needed to protect the interest of buyers in case housing projects
are abandoned, said a government backbencher. Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (BN-Bagan
Datoh) said the move would be seen as the Government coming to the defence
of the people

Unsold properties reached RM9.8b
in 2000 06/04/2001 BT
UNSOLD properties in the residential, industrial and commercial sectors in
the country amounted to RM9.83 billion at the end of last year, up 11.6 per
cent from the first half of 2000, according to a Finance Ministry report.
Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Chan Kong Choy expects the unsold properties
situation to ease within the next few years.

Reviving Sentul
Raya project 07/04/2001 NST-CITY
THE multi-billion ringgit Sentul Raya project, which was halted three years
ago during the economic slowdown, is expected to be continued in the middle
of this year. However, there are several changes in the project which the
new developer, YTL Corporation Berhad, and property owners KTM Berhad, will
make with approval from the housebuyers.

Abdullah: Punish
errant developers 07/04/2001 NST
KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - Developers who fail to complete their projects should
be penalised as the failure will cause unnecessary hardship to others, Deputy
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today. For instance,
he said, house buyers would be in the lurch if developers delayed or failed
to complete projects. The situation would be worse if the projects were abandoned.

Check them out before approval
07/04/2001 NST
THE Government has advised local authorities and financial institutions to
scrutinise feasibility studies for projects before granting approval to build
or give out loans to developers. Deputy Minister of Finance Datuk Chan Kong
Choy said the Government found the property overhang situation worrying and
appealed to the organisations to exercise caution when deciding to give approvals
or loans for projects.

Planning laws must meet the
needs 07/04/2001 NST
TOWARDS the end of last year, some residents of Damansara Heights in Kuala
Lumpur were quite distressed when news began circulating about a proposed
development in their midst. If you are not familiar with the place or its
history, let me tell you right away that when the area was first developed
over 30 years ago, it was meant for the construction of bungalows only - except
for a limited stretch of land reserved for shops and offices. It was for this
reason that people with money bought property here.

We don't have the money, says
developer 08/04/2001 SUM
TAMAN Dalma developer Visioneast Development Sdn Bhd said it could not continue
with the project due to financial constraints. A senior official, met at the
company's office in Taman Melawati, Selangor, last Thursday, said the project
was launched in 1991 and the company had budgeted that each of the 106 units
would cost RM14,000 to build.

We just want to move in'
08/04/2001 SUM
WE hope the banks can help us. This was the appeal from the 20-member task
force comprising buyers of the abandoned Taman Dalma project in Semenyih,
Kajang, Selangor, in the hope of solving their six-year-old headache.

No plans to amend law to control
allocation of houses 10/04/2001 The Star
THE Housing and Local Government Ministry has no intention to draft a new
law or amend the current legislation to regulate the allocation of low-cost
housing. Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said the state governments were in
charge of renting out or allocating low-cost units to whoever was eligible.

Condo owner wants defects rectified
11/04/2001 MM
SIX months after CHIANG's family moved into their RM303,000 Menara Duta 11
condominium in Jalan Segambut Dalam, they were saddled with problems of leaking
in the balcony and bedroom. That was in 1998. After several appeals, the developer,
Vital Best Sdn Bhd, finally repaired the balcony last February since it was
on common property.

Ka Ting: 324 abandoned housing
projects revived11/04/2001 The Star
Dewan Rakyat A TOTAL of 324 housing projects which were abandoned since the
mid-1980s have been revived by the Government. Housing and Local Government
Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said the projects involved the construction
of some 59,616 houses and 43,448 buyers. "At the same time, 19 projects have
been taken over by other developers and we have targeted another 56 which
have the potential to be revived. "We are currently carrying out feasibility
studies on these projects, which involve some 21,182 houses and 13,325 buyers,
with the co-operation of Syarikat Perumahan Negara,'' he told reporters at
the Parliament lobby here yesterday. However, the ministry, he added, had
also identified 115 projects which could no longer be revived due to flagging
interest from consumers or where the developers had wound up operations.

Builder offers to open joint FD account with buyers12/4/2001 The Star By Derrick Vinesh
A developer has proposed to open a joint fixed deposit account with its house
buyers for a sinking fund to promote transparency in its business transactions.
Eternal Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Ong Tai Chin said his company was
among the first to adopt the approach, noting that most developers opened
their own bank accounts for the fund.

Let condo owners call the shots
13/04/2001 NST
I OWN and live in a condominium and from my experience there are many reasons
why I should not. Ownership - this word usually means you are the lord and
master and you make the decisions. Not so for condominiums. Your hands are
bound by the developer because unless you have a strata title you do not have
control as the maintenance of the common property is in the hands of the developer.

Working out the `perfect' SPA
13/04/2001 NST-PROP
THE first response was quite expected. Sham, who has more than 10 years' experience
handling property transactions on behalf of purchasers as well as developer
clients, said that a complete panacea, an all-encompassing solution that can
resolve all problems presently faced by purchasers, cannot be formulated or
created overnight. Since the SPA does not stand alone but must remain part
and parcel of the Housing Developers Act and the Regulations made thereunder,
the entire existing legal infrastructure must also be completely revamped.

Facilities not provided
13/04/2001 MM
LIVING in condominiums may be stressful, as residents of Tiara Duta condominiums
in Ampang found out. The main problems are incomplete clubhouse, no parking
bays for visitors, lifts often not functioning, high maintenance fees for
unsatisfactory service rendered.

Proposed amendments submitted
13/04/2001 The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: The proposed amendments to the Housing Developers Act have been
submitted to the Attorney-General's office.

Sell with moral responsibility
13/04/2001 MM-CLAS
MINISTER of Housing and Local Government Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting urged developers
to sell their properties with the highest moral responsibility. "Take care
of the buyers and protect their interests," said Ong who also added that developers
need to be conscious of the fact that in some cases, the life's savings of
purchasers are involved.

Rehda: Let buyers form pro tem
panels 13/04/2001 The Star
THE Housing and Local Government Ministry should allow house buyers to form
pro tem management corporations soon after obtaining Certificate of Fitness
(CF) for their apartment units.

Crimson Land completes project
nine months ahead 14/04/2001 NST
AT a time when property purchasers live in uncertainty of whether their houses
will be delivered on time, developer Crimson Land Bhd has inspired market
confidence by completing its D'aman Crimson project in Petaling Jaya nine
months ahead of schedule. Crimson Land sales and marketing director Datuk
Tan Seng Chee said owners of the 1,068 units would be given vacant possession
of their houses by May this year.

Selangor MB gets memo on Balakong
flats issue 14/04/2001 NST-CITY
THE Selangor Government has been urged to investigate allegations of irregularities
in the allocation of low-cost homes to some residents from the KTM Berhad
longhouse in Balakong. About 50 people, representing 600 affected families,
turned up at the State administrative complex in Shah Alam last Thursday to
hand over a memorandum on the issue to Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohd
Khir Toyo, appealing to him to look into the matter.

Businesswoman cries foul over
being sold a RM580,000 show unit 15/04/2001 NSUNT
PENANG, Sat. - A 29-year-old businesswoman is crying foul over a developer
selling her a bungalow which was only a show unit built with a one-year permit.
Teoh Boay Lan alleged that the developer did not submit any building plans
to the Seberang Prai Municipal Council and, as a result of it, the completed
unit could not be issued with a Certificate of Occupation.

RM15b of business if housing
projects revived 16/04/2001 BT
THE country can generate about RM15 billion worth of economic activities if
all the 493 abandoned housing projects are revived and rehabilitated, said
chairman of Syarikat Perumahan Negara (SPN) Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Based
on a study synergising various aspects of the housing industry, related areas
such as financing, supply of building materials, workforce, architecture and
landscaping could easily produce some RM11 billion worth of business while
another RM4 billion will be in terms of its supporting activities for the
small and medium-sized industries.

Homes fit to crack up
17/04/2001 MM
A GROUP of residents in Bukit Sentosa, Rawang, wants the authorities to ensure
that their cracking houses will not collapse. This is because they have lost
faith in the Hulu Selangor District Council that issued their double-storey
terrace houses with certificates of fitness last year when the cracks had
already appeared.

Court orders
appointment of receiver and manager 17/4/2001 The Star
A High Court yesterday ordered, by consent, the appointment of a receiver
and manager to continue with the completion of a stalled medium-cost apartment
project in Jalan Lumba Kuda.

Housebuyers act to revive
stalled project 17/04/2001The Star By Choong Kwee Kim
Purchasers of units at the stalled Majestic Heights project are executing
plans to salvage the project themselves and are not banking on the rescue
by a new 'white knight' developer.

New law to protect high-rise
buyers 18/04/2001The Star
SUBANG JAYA: High-rise residential unit owners and developers will jointly
manage buildings until the strata titles are issued, under a new law being
planned by the Government.

No new CF for major repairs done18/04/2001The Star
IPOH: Buildings which have been issued with a certificate of fitness need
not get another after major repairs are done to it, state Local Government
Committee chairman Datuk Chang Ko Youn said. H

Amendments to Housing Act to
protect housebuyers 18/04/2001 NST
AMENDMENTS to the Housing Developers Act would greatly improve the housing
industry and offer added protection to home buyers, said the secretary- general
of the Housing and Local Government Ministry, Datuk Khalid Husin. He said
the main amendments being proposed to address the shortcomings of the existing
Act would include increasing the paid-up capital of licensed developers and
the appointment of a deputy controller to improve efficiency and speed up
the issuance of development licences.

Ministry submits
draft of new law to Cabinet 18/04/2001 BT
THE Housing and Local Government Ministry has completed the draft of the new
Common Properties and Building's Management and Maintenance Bill and will
submit it to the Cabinet soon before tabling it in the Parliament. Minister
Datuk Seri Ong Ka ting said at present, the law is being studied by the Attorney-General's
chamber to ensure there would be no overlapping of jurisdictions by the involved
parties.

Low-cost housing
blues 18/04/2001 NST
A POOR take-up rate was recorded in new low-cost housing projects, particularly
for stratified units, that were launched during the fourth quarter of last
year. According to the Residential Property Stock Report launched recently
by the Ministry of Finance's Valuation and Property Services Department (VSPD),
only 46 per cent of the 1,047 low-cost houses (or non-stratified units) and
three per cent of the 1,451 low-cost flats launched during this period were
sold.

Sec-gen on how to solve property
overhang18/04/2001The Star
The prevailing property market overhang reflects a major weakness in town
and country planning, Housing and Local Government Ministry secretary-general
Datuk Khalid Husin said.

Condo
buyer sues builder over vacant possession19/04/2001 The Star By K. Kasturi Dewi
A geophysicist, who is suing a developer for failing to deliver vacant possession
of his condominium unit in Penang, claimed he was incurring expenses travelling
from Singapore while waiting for his property to be handed over to him.

Buildings ready but still no
CF 19/04/2001 MM
AFTER four long years, the shop and office buildings project in Westport Tech-Zone,
Pulau Indah Klang, was finally completed last year. However, until now, the
buyers are unable to shift into their new office or rent the units out as
there is no Certificate of Fitness from the local authority.

Piling reinforced
19/04/2001 MM
THE developer of a housing project in Bukit Sentosa, Rawang, has started remedial
works to strengthen the soil which had caused 12 houses there to crack. Talam
Corporation Berhad general manager of customer service, Michael Khor, said
work by its subsidiary, Nobel Rights Sdn Bhd, involved additional piling to
strengthen the soil on which the houses were built.

Revival of abandoned projects
can spur growth 20/04/2001 NST-PROP
THE crucial role that the property market plays in keeping the wheels of the
nation's economy moving cannot be overstated. This was clearly expressed by
Syarikat Perumahan Negara (SPN) chairman Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who early
this week said that the country can generate about RM15 billion worth of economic
activities if all the 493 abandoned housing projects are revived and rehabilitated.

Residents meet council for
solution 20/04/2001 MM
DISAPPOINTMENT was written on the faces of the 48 people who arrived in two
buses at the Subang Jaya Municipal Council yesterday to meet its president,
Ahmad Fuad Ismail, over their housing woes. Due to their failure to set an
appointment for a meeting with Fuad, the residents from Taman Sungai Besi
Indah in Seri Kembangan had to settle for a meeting with deputy president
Arpah Abdul Razak.

Housebuyers guide on website
20/04/2001 The Star
PENANG: Housebuyers who face various problems such as housing delays or defects
can now visit a new website to find out more about their rights. House Buyers
Association (HBA) secretary-general Chang Kim Loong said yesterday the HBA
website would serve as an "A to Z'' guide for purchasers.

Owners, developer reach settlement
20/04/2001 The Star
KUALA LUMPUR, Thurs. - Thirty-two condominium owners, who sued housing developer
Endah Raya Realty Sdn Bhd and two others for breach of contract over the Shang
Village condominium project in Kelana Jaya, today entered into a settlement.
The terms of the settlement agreement were not disclosed. The agreement was
brought before High Court judge Datuk Azmel Ma'amor in his chambers

Residents meet council for
solution 20/04/2001 MM
DISAPPOINTMENT was written on the faces of the 48 people who arrived in two
buses at the Subang Jaya Municipal Council yesterday to meet its president,
Ahmad Fuad Ismail, over their housing woes. Due to their failure to set an
appointment for a meeting with Fuad, the residents from Taman Sungai Besi
Indah in Seri Kembangan had to settle for a meeting with deputy president
Arpah Abdul Razak.

Build first, then sell policy
mooted for houses20/04/2001 Malaysia Kini
The government has been urged to implement a 'Build first then sell' concept
- where developers can sell their properties only after they are fully-built-
to overcome numerous complaints by disgruntled home buyers relating to abandoned
housing projects.

Condo purchasers
to lodge report against developer 21/04/2001 NST
NEARLY 25 purchasers of the Venice Hill Condominium and Golf Resort's Tower
10 units have unanimously agreed to lodge a police report next week against
the developer, Venice Hill Resort Living Sdn Bhd (VHRL), for criminal breach
of trust. VHRL is a member of the Li Foong Group of Companies.

`Submit Form 7F'
warning 21/04/2001 NST
KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - Housing developers have been given a final warning to
inform the Housing and Local Government Ministry of the progress of projects
and financial standing or risk a fine or jail sentence.

Forcing flat-owners to pay their
dues23/04/2001 The Star
While the government has encouraged the construction of flats and other high-rise
units to meet the housing shortage, the sad fact is that Malaysians are still
not used to living in such accommodation.

Developers `no' to holding
back 20pc not payment 26/04/2001 NST
DEVELOPERS have deemed inequitable the suggestion that the last 20 per cent
of the purchase price for houses be held back to contra claims for late delivery
without resorting to court action. They were responding to a call made by
Consumers Association of Penang president S.M. Mohamed Idris.

Developers told to dismantle
cranes at abandoned buildings 26/04/2001 NST
SEREMBAN, Wed. - The State Government has ordered developers of abandoned
projects to dismantle construction cranes at the site of uncompleted buildings.
Menteri Besar Tan Sri Mohamad Isa Abdul Samad said today the cranes posed
a danger to the public.

Pitfalls of buying a model
house 27/04/2001 NST
THERE is a strong urge bordering on an irresistible compulsion for people
with money and no patience to buy an existing model house, also called a show
house, built by a housing developer on the occasion of the launch of a new
project, or a new phase of a project. Buying a show unit means having the
advantage of seeing what you purchased, unlike throwing down a hefty deposit
on a house which has yet to be built - and not knowing for certain whether
it will indeed be built and completed on the agreed date.

Flats residents `fighting'
over parking lots 27/04/2001 MM
IT is a war-zone at BAHARI's residence at Flat L35 Taman Pandan Jaya, Ampang.
He says almost all the residents are "fighting" for the limited parking lots
and some even go to the extent of building a permanent garage with their vehicle
registration number on it.

Two decrepit apartment blocks
in Johor Baru to be demolished 30/04/2001 NST
JOHOR BARU, Sun. - Two of Johor Baru's shabbiest landmarks - the Bukit Cagar
and Lumba Kuda public housing flats - will be demolished within five years
to make way for development. "The apartment blocks are too decrepit to upgrade
and are out of step with the times," said Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani
Othman

Landslide threat to expensive
home 30/04/2001 MM
THE RM500,000 semi-detached house which Alvin Lai bought about 15 months ago
in Taman Sungei Besi Indah, is set to crumble. Unless, something is done to
stop the erosion.